OMAN. A powerful local food movement is growing; a movement that is connecting Omani consumers with how, where and by whom their food is grown.

It is forging new pathways to help rural families stay on their home farms and attracting new, young producers to farming and food-related businesses. It is also bringing about a new appreciation for rural production and entrepreneurship among Omani chefs, food companies and retailers large and small.

This exciting new local food movement is up for discussion at the next edition of Inside Stories scheduled for 7:00pm, Tuesday 12 December at the Public Authority for Civil Aviation Training Centre in Al Hail North.

“Decision makers around the world are increasingly recognizing the connections between food and agriculture and a set of broader outcomes, such as public health, the environment, civic engagement, economic opportunity. Job creation and increased levels of happiness,” commented Taleb Al Makhmari, Ithraa’s Marketing & Media Director General and organizer of the monthly Inside Stories initiative.

Noting the soaring demand for produce and food grown and raised in Oman, Al Makhmari said: “Opportunities abound for small farms and local food entrepreneurs. But competition is fierce and a fantastic product is, sadly, not always enough these days. To harvest the possibilities of the growing interest in Omani produce, and particularly in healthy organic fruit, vegetables, grain and meat, local businesses need to be sure they know how to brand, package and market in ways that appeal to local consumers,” remarked Al Makhmari.

In addition to marketing, packaging, food supply chains and organic produce the 12 December Inside Stories will also explore urban farming.

The UN FAO reports that 800 million people worldwide grow vegetables or fruits or raise animals in cities, producing 15 to 20% of the world’s food and this percentage is expected to double in the next 20 years.

According to research from the US Community Food Security Coalition in a 130-day temperate growing season, a 10’x10’ metre plot can provide most of a 4-person household’s total yearly vegetable needs, including much of the household’s nutritional requirements for vitamins A, C, B complex and iron. From an economic perspective, approximately every 400 baizas invested in a community garden plot yields RO2.200 worth of vegetables.

“The growth of urban agriculture is reviving and stimulating local economies like never before and it is creating local jobs,” explained Al Makhmari. Ithraa’s Director General added: “More economic transactions occurring within a community means more income and work for local businesses. Indeed, the growing demand for safe, locally grown food is leading to increased opportunity for Omani food start-ups, which is in turn fueling job creation.”

MIDDLE EAST BUSINESS COMMENT & ANALYSIS

INTERNATIONAL. As our systems will get smarter, so too will our ability to understand their interconnectedness. Imagine the transformative power we could unlock if we could see the cumulative impact of a billion small actions in motion. Could IoT be the hero to save us from ourselves?

INTERNATIONAL. As our systems will get smarter, so too will our ability to understand their interconnectedness. Imagine the transformative power we could unlock if we could see the cumulative impact of a billion small actions in motion. Could IoT be the hero to save us from ourselves?

INTERNATIONAL. As our systems will get smarter, so too will our ability to understand their interconnectedness. Imagine the transformative power we could unlock if we could see the cumulative impact of a billion small actions in motion. Could IoT be the hero to save us from ourselves?

INTERNATIONAL. As our systems will get smarter, so too will our ability to understand their interconnectedness. Imagine the transformative power we could unlock if we could see the cumulative impact of a billion small actions in motion. Could IoT be the hero to save us from ourselves?